U. S. GOVERNMENT 


TRANSPORTATION 

CAMPAIGNS®! 

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Gove rnment 


U. S 


TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGNS 


... to save Rubber and to con¬ 
serve America’s Truck , Bus , Rail¬ 
road and Local Transit Facilities 
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Approved by 


Office of the Rubber Director 
Office of Civilian Defense 
Office of Defense Transportation 
Office of Price Administration 
and 

Division of Campaigns, Office 
of War Information 




































H £ 2/Ofe 

. A 52 , 
114 -3C. 

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U. S. Government 

TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGNS 


I Auto and Auto Tire Conservation 
II Truck and Truck Tire Conservation 
III Conservation of Bus, Railway and Local Transit 
Facilities 


America at War has critical problems to meet on every sector of 
the Transportation front ... problems involving passenger cars, trucks, 
busses (both inter-city and local), trolleys, and railroads. Running 
through nearly all these, of course, is the increasingly serious 
shortage of rubber. 

Herein are packaged together under a single cover outlines of 
the principal information programs by which the Government hopes, 
through enlisting public understanding and active cooperation, to help 
correct these transportation problems. 

These campaigns are presented “under one roof” because they are 
so closely inter-related. Persons in information and promotion 
channels who are called upon to put these messages before the public 
must remember that one cannot be handled without consideration to the 
others. In asking the people to spare their tires and use their cars 
as little as possible we must also point out that they should not turn 
to the busses, trolleys and trains and jam them further with pleasure 
or other non-essential travel. 

When preparing radio announcements, news, feature, visual or 
other material on any of these campaigns, bear always in mind what 
might be the consequences in case the public reacts promptly and vigor¬ 
ously ... if you have not warned them in advance against such actions. 
Whenever possible, use “bridges” to the effect that “when Uncle Sam 
asks you to spare your car for all but really necessary driving, it 
doesn’t mean that you should rush indiscriminately to the busses, 
trains or other means of transportation for trips that you needn't 
make” ... “Not only must you keep your driving to a minimum to save 
rubber (and in the East, gasoline), but your Government asks that you 
leave your seat on train, bus or trolley, for a soldier or war worker 
by staying home if your trip isn’t necessary...”, etc., etc. 


8-003 


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U. S. GOVERNMENT 
TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGNS 


SECTION I 


Aiito and Aiito Tire Conservation 

"SAVE RUBBER FOR VICTORY” 
"RECAPPING IN TIME SAVES TIRES” 


Sponsored By 

Rubber Director’s Office 
Office of Civilian Defense 

Approved by 

Campaigns Division, Office of Mar Information 


March 1943 





(I) Auto and Auto Tire Conservation 


4 ‘SAVE RUBBER FOR VICTORY’’ 

The 4 ‘Rubber'* Campaign to Date 

Beginning even before the report of the Baruch Committee was presented 
(September 1942), a continuous campaign was carried on by Government 
agencies to inform the public as to the vitaL necessity for conserving 
the rubber in our 44 rolling stockpile’’ - the tires on America’s motor 
vehicles. 

Initiated by what was them tbe Office for Emergency Management, the 
campaign utilized radio, newspaper publicity, moving pictures, posters 
and other media to carry the rubber story to the people. 

Immediately after the appointment of Mr. W. M. Jeffers to serve as 
Rubber Director, the WFB Division of Information, in conjunction with 
OWI, collaborated with the OPA, ODT and OCD (to which agencies had 
been delegated certain phases of the program) in preparing an organized 
all-inclusive Campaign Plan. 

Included in the program, as it developed, were seven different campaign 
phases, spanning the period from October 1942 to the present, each of 
which included rubber conservation themes: 

1. Voluntary Tire Conservation 

2. Idle Tire Purchase Plan 

3. Nationwide Mileage (gasoline) Rationing - in 
order To save rubber , with transportation short¬ 
ages as an additional reason in the East. (In¬ 
cluding a 44 blitz’’ campaign to counteract 
opposition from special interests. ) 

4. Reducing consumer deliveries (truck conservation 
--continuing). 

5. Reducing unnecessary rail and bus travel. (Con¬ 
tinuing on seasonal basis.) 

6. U. S. Motor Truck Conservation Corps program 
(Continuing). 

7. Car Sharing (continuing). 

Thanks to You and You.. 

The support accorded these official U. S. Government programs has been 
most gratifying - 


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... Newspapers and magazines have carried the 

message to the people potently and persistently. 

... Radio has utilized its wide facilities to splen¬ 
did advantage, even to the point of building 
entire entertainment type programs around rubber 
in some of the most popular star-studded shows. 

... Theaters across the land have flashed the story 
to huge audiences. 

... Graphic arts, direct mail, advertising by in¬ 
dustrial concerns, trade publications - in fact, 
nearly every conceivable channel of information 
- have all played significant parts in calling 
attention to the complex and sometimes seemingly 
contradictory phases of America’s rubber problem. 

These words are intended as official public thanks to all who have 
played a part in this effort to date. At the same time, you are asked 
to apply that same measure of enthusiasm, energy and igenuity to help 
solve the even more critical rubber problems that face us in the coming 
months. 

The State of Public Opinion 

From the standpoint of public understanding of the rubber problem and 
appreciation of its gravity, two factors stand out: 

1. Awareness that the need for saving rubber is 
the real reason for gasoline rationing, while 
gaining, is still far from complete. Coupled 
with this is the belief, still held by many, 
that gasoline rationing is 4 ‘not necessary’’ 

2. The rubber shortage has been shouted so loud 
and long that further repetitions lose their 
force. The problem now is to find new ways to 
tell an old story. 

As to point # , a succession of confusing elements has arisen to be¬ 
cloud the issue; the agitation sponsored by Midwest interests when 
mileage (gasoline) rationing was first proposed on a nationwide basis, 
to have its imposition on the rest of the country postponed 90 days; 
the transportation shortage in the East as an additional factor 
causing renewed emphasis on transportation and gasoline shortages as 
such, rather than on rubber conservation. 


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In some of the oil producing areas (Texas, Oklahoma, California) only 
40% of the people polled in December answered ‘‘yes’’ to the question 
*'Do you think gasoline rationing throughout the nation is necessary?’’ 

Yet, for the country as a whole, 79% in the " old’’ rationed areas and 
67% in the newly-rationed areas thought gasoline rationing necessary. 
And whereas only 74% in the old rationed areas and 67% in the new ex¬ 
pressed belief that there is a serious shortage of rubber, 84% and 82% 
respectively thought gasoline rationing the best way to save rubber. 

All of which points to the conclusion that an important segment of the 
public must still be ''sold*’ the basic facts in the rubber picture. 

This leads to point #2, for the question now arises: ‘‘How, after all 
the sound and fury, can a clearer and more complete appreciation of the 
true facts be put across to those who must comprehend and act accord¬ 
ingly if America’s vital rubber supply is to be conserved?’’ 

To answer that question we must have clearly in mind just what the 
present situation is... 

The Facts on Rubber 

1. Probably throughout 1943 - and possibly for some 
time thereafter - nothing but reclaimed rubber 
will be available to any extent for passenger 
cars. Even then, limited reclaiming plant 
capacity and priority demands upon the supply 
will restrict the amounts civilians may obtain. 

2. Our stockpile of crude rubber, as of January 
15th, amounted to only about half of the 
country’s annual pre-war consumption. Military 
and lend-lease requirements for 1943 total more 
than the present inventory - and may have to be 
revised sharply upward as the war situation 
changes. Peak production of synthetic is not 
expected until late 1944, if then. Only 
negligible quantities will be available this 
year from imports and home-grown substitutes , 
such as guayule, cryptostegia, koksaghiz. None 
of these sources can be counted upon by the 
average car owner this year. 

3. The recent directive authorized synthetic rubber 
plants having an annual capacity of 452,000 tons 


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as compared to the 1,000,000 tons called for in the 
Baruch Report. This means that although the public 
could not benefit from the synthetic program in 1943 
anyway, the total rubber available for all uses this 
year will now be even less than previously expected, 
and after military needs are satisfied there will 
remain only the barest minimum for civilian use. 

4. Hence, we face a serious rubber shortage and this 
condition will become steadily worse until synthetic 
production attains real proportions. Although the 
car owner may have his present tires retreaded with 
reclaim - or possibly get a secondhand or an all-re¬ 
claim ''Victory’’ tire - there is no assurance what ¬ 
ever that he will be able to get any kind of replace ¬ 
ment tires after his present ones wear out. 

5. Car owners everywhere must therefore reduce their 
driving to bare essentials , even though "pleasuree 

driving’’ may not be banned by law in their areas. 

And they must at all times observe wise conservation 
measures - drive' under 35mph. , keep tires inflated 
and in good condition, Share the Car, etc. 

(See ‘‘Appendex A’’ for last-minute factual data on 
various aspects of the Rubber Situation.) 

Where Do We Go From Here ? 

Unlike last year, when new plans that needed publicizing (Idle Tire 
Purchase, Nationwide Mileage Rationing, etc.) successively appeared, 
there are no radically new facts or events now at hand or definitely 
foreseeable in the rubber situation on which to hang an entirely new 
story for the campaign ahead. 

The problem of finding a fresh approach has been rendered doubly diff¬ 
icult through the imposition of such regulations as gas rationing, the 
35 mph. speed limit and restrictions on '‘pleasure’’ driving - all of 
which tend to cut tire wear more or less automatically leaving some 
of the things that drivers can do voluntarily relatively less important. 

As we enter 1943, then, it is apparent that best results in the next 
leg of our information campaign will be secured by hammering hard on 
these three main points... 

1. Voluntary tire conservation --- 

Drive only when absolutely necessary wherever you are. 


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Keep under 35 miles per hour (better still - 30). 
Check your tires weekly - keep them properly in¬ 
flated (usually 32 lbs.) 

♦ 

2. Regular inspection - 

...to check tires for injuries and wear. 

...to discover necessary repairs before it is 
“to late”. 

...to get advice on proper care and air pressure. 
...to insure maximum mileage from present tires. 
...to catch faulty mechanical conditions causing 
abnormal tire wear, such as dragging brakes, 
wheels out of alignment, etc. 

3. Car Sharing - 

Clubs organized in industrial plants and 
promoted in residential areas, to “Share and 
Spare Your Car”.. 

(Background material and copy pointers for use in implementing 
the three main headings above will be found in APPENDIX *'A“ 
at the end of this section.) 

New Approaches to the Story 

Granted that the foregoing points offer a concrete foundation on which 
to base our campaign, how then to find new ways of telling an old story 
- to develop fresh approaches that will drive through a public 
consciousness growing increasingly less responsive to persuasion on 
rubber matters? 

One line of strategy is to couple mentions of the rubber situation 
here with the needs of our armed forces *' over there * *. As Elmer 
Wheeler in his “Tested Selling Sentences’’ advises “Don't sell the 
steak - sell the sizzle ,*’ we should strive to make people see the 
vast rubber-borne equipment being marshalled against the enemy in 
North Africa and the South Pacific...to make them almost smell the 
rubber burning off the tires of tanks and trucks and self-propelled 
vehicles as they fight across the sands of Tunisia and ( churn through 
the swamps of New Guinea. 

The military angle should of course not be overplayed, and care must 
be taken that a purely factual approach is maintained, for no hint 
that the armed forces are “to blame ’ for the rubber shortage should 
be allowed to creep in. Also, a good positive angle is to emphasize 
what the Army and Navy have done and are doing themselves to cut their 


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demands for rubber to the minimum and to conserve what they now have 
in use. 

Without lecturing or exhortation, we must drive home to car-owners 
that what they do about their own tires has a very real bearing not 
only on their ability to get replacements, but on the progress of the 
war itself. Let’s point out again and again, in a - b - c - terms, 
just why those five tires must be made to last, just how the careless 
driver penalizes himself and does grave injustice to production 
soldiers on the home front when he slithers away that small but pre¬ 
cious allotment of rubber of which he is custodian. 

Another, and more direct, attack is to adopt a hard-headed “or else” 
viewpoint, to keep the appeals down to basic human instincts, selfish 
interests... 

The promise is : 

Winning the war depends on rubber. There is enough 
on hand and in sight to keep us riding on both the 
fighting and production fronts . .. provided - 

We share our cars and take care of our tires. 


Ihe_. prpblem is : 

How to get them to do it. 

The solution is : 

First show them exactly how they benefit by driving 
slowly, keeping tire pressure right, frequent tire 
inspection, and sharing their cars, then - 

Ask them to do it. “Don’t tell ’em - sell ’em”. 

How to get them to do it and like it : 


1. Appeal to Personal Instincts 

What is the main positive benefit they get by 
“Sharing and Caring”? The answer seems to be 
Riding . That is what drivers get now . Indeed 
that is the reason why they bought the car in 
the first olace...to ride. So if we convince 
them they have a better chance to continue to 
ride and not have to walk, then they will do it. 



8-0904 P 6 of 26 bu- 












For example, they will drive 35mph. or less to 
keep on riding - (their own benefit) more quickly 
than they will go slow to win the war, (a future 
benefit they can’t quite visualize.) 

So- 


“Keep-us-Riding” is a basic appeal and we should 
bear down on it. Particularly because it is also 
the main objective. For if our transportation to 
work breaks down, our war production breaks down, 
obr fighting front caves in ... and the war is lost. 

2. “ Now or Never” Approach 

Speak of benefits in present tense .. to make 
drivers see themselves keeping their homes and 
jobs now rather than losing them if we lose the 
war ... later. 

The human mind does not readily buy futures. Yet 
our job in this case seems to be to sell just that. 
They now have their homes, their jobs, their health 
and they now ride . So to “keep on having’’ is what 
we offer in return for the actions we want them to 
take. 


So- 


Use present tense benefits ... offer “Keep-us-Riding, ” 
“Keep your Job’’“Keep your Home”, “Keep your Radio”, 
etc. etc., by sharing your car and caring for your 
tires, rather than lose all these at some future 
date if we lose the war...which they don’t believe 
we’ll lose. 

3. Promote a Psychology of Scarcity 

As long as drivers feel “there is more where these 
came from, ” they will not be so careful of their 
tires. If therefore we show them clearly that tires 
are scarce , scarce, scarce - that will help make 
them save. 

Some good hard facts dished up for their daily 
consumption would help. The facts about synthetics 
... that civilians cannot expect to get any this 

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year ... that the curtailment in the program means 
a smaller total supply of rubber for all ... and 
less for you, etc. 

And to those who might say “Oh! Well ... so what? 

I can always ride the bus to work, ” lets make plain 
“You might as well take your eye off the bus. 

There is no room on the bus for you. The busses 
are already filled with the people who always ride 
the bus, and many more who have no other means of 
getting to work”. 


So- 

If you want to keep riding, if you want to keep 
your job, your home and your pay; if you want to 
be sure of food, and medicine and doctors for your 
wife and kids ... Take care of your tires. 

4. Keep it Simple 


If we persuade drivers to do four things, this 
campaign will accomplish real good. So keep the 
message simple, boil it down to these four points 
and bear down on them: 

1. Drive under 35. 

2. Keep tire pressure right. 

3. Have tires and car inspected often. 

4. Share your car. 

5. More “You” Appeal 


To get them to drive under 35 miles per hour, show 
them, quick, what they get out of it now . 

For example, they get more mileage from their tires, 
and gas. And it seems best to be specific and state 
how much more, percentage-wise, and in simple 
figures. if possible. (The same idea holds for 
keeping tires properly inflated.) 

Also their cars last longer, and their repair bills 
are less. 


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And they get more safety. Accidents are fewer, and 
not so likely to result in death. 

Moreover, their friends and neighbors will look 
upon them as patriotic citizens if they see them 
complying with the 35 mile speed limit. If they ' 
go rushing by and pass friends who are keeping 
under the limit they lose friends, good-will and 
perhaps business. That is too great a price to 
pay for the few minutes saved by stepping on it a 
little too hard. 

And their main benefit, of course, is that they 
get to ride to work for a long, long time, whereas 
if they go fast and wear out their tires quickly 
they may have to walk to work. 

For, as Mr. Jeffers says in “Progress Report No. 

1”, ... The vast majority of our motor vehicles 
must run from now until mid-1944 on the tires now 
in use. ” 

In addition they get more comfort and convenience. 
For even if they do shove themselves on the bus, 
its no fun standing on the corner waiting for one, 
nor being shoved around and stepped on when they 
get on and off. 

COPY THEME 

Primary objective of the campaign is to help save rubber through in¬ 
creased observance of the main foundation points - 

Stay under 35 

Check your car regularly - keep tires 
inflated to 32 lbs. 

Drive only when you must 

Share - and spare - your car 

Here are a few basic “ selling points” suggested for use in driving 
home the foregoing objectives: 

1. The rubber situation is serious - there will be 
less rubber for ’43 than was expected last year- 


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and the situation will steadily grow more critical 
for at least a year. 

2. The bulk of our present limited * reserve ” must be 
held for the growing needs of our fighting forces 
and their allies. (Show strategic Military uses; 
also conservation measures taken to keep requirements 
to minimum). 

3. We must guard as a precious, irreplaceable asset, 

the rubber left in our " rolling stockpile” - the tires 
on America’s cars. 

4. Whenever you neglect or abuse your tires you are 

penalizing the war effort and aiding the Axis, for 
the rubber on them is needed to keep war production 
going. 

5. Intelligent Americans will understand that it has 
been necessary to ration gasoline throughout the 
nation both as a realistic method of saving rubber and 
to distribute the burden fairly. Patriotic Americans 
will go beyond the minimum requirements of law and 
adopt voluntary measures for conserving rubber. 

SUGGESTED USE OF MEDIA 


Newspapers, radio, motion pictures, posters and painted bulletins, 
magazines, trade journals, house organs, collateral industry advertising 
and other information media are all being utilized to carry these messages 
across the land. Anyone having a direct interest in promoting this 
Rubber Conservation program may obtain data on what specific steps have 
been taken to date and what is planned for different media, including 
suggested time schedule, by writing Campaigns Division, Office of War 
Information, Washington, D. C. 


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APPENDIX ** A” 


Following are supplementary facts and copy ideas for explanatory 
material on (1) Voluntary tire conservation; (2) Tire inspection; (3) 
Car Sharing. Also up-to-date information on the various phases of the 
present supply situation on rubber. 

1. - Voluntary Tire Conservation 

While the primary reason for banning pleasure driving 
in the East was the shortage of gasoline, caused by 
transportation difficulties and heavy overseas demands, 
this measure has nevertheless demonstrated dramatically 
to the rest of the country how far average use of the 
automobile can be reduced without undue hardship. 

This realization of how little many of us have really 
given up in the way of peace-time motoring habits, lends 
additional force and truth to these "quotable quotes” 
from the Baruch Report: 

“ Of all critical and strategic materialsm rubber 
is the one which presents the greatest threat to 
the safety of our nation and the success of the 
Allied cause. Production of steel, copper, aluminum 
alloys or aviation gasoline may be inadequate to 
prosecute the war as rapidly and effectively as we 
could wish, but at the worst we are still assured 
of sufficient supplies of these items to operate 
our armed forces on a very powerful scale. But if 
we fail to secure quickly a large new rubber supply, 
our war effort and our domestic economy both will 
collapse. Thus the rubber situation gives rise to 
our most critical problem. ” 

“ We must supply not only the needs of our armed 
forces but most of those of the military machines 
of our Allies as well. We must equip our busses 
and trucks and other commercial vehicles and provide 
on a large scale specialty items for such purposes 
as factory belting, surgical, hospital and health 
supplies. And in addition to all these, we must 
maintain the tires on at least a substantial portion 
of our 27,000,000 civilian passenger automobiles .’’ 

And what has transpired since those words were written highlights these 
lines from Wm. Jeffers’ “Progress Report No. 1, Office of the Rubber 
Director;”: 


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“ There is still a pronounced lack of public under¬ 
standing of the rubber situation. ” 

*' Many do not yet understand that it is essential to 
our war effort and a prime duty of the Rubber Director 
to keep on the roads that portion of our essential trans¬ 
portation system which is dependent on our public and 
private motor vehicles.” 

“ They do not understand the vital importance of making 
their present tires last, nor do they comprehand the 
sacrifices in convenience driving and pleasure driving 
which must be made, if each man’s own car is to continue 
at his own disposal for the essential driving our whole 
war economy demands. ” 

“ In much of the newly rationed area, they do not fully 
understand that gas rationing is undertaken solely to 
conserve rubber. In many sections they resent gas ration 
ing and will continue to resent it, and oppose it, until 
they have been made to see that less gas means less 
driving; that less driving means the preservation of their own tires for 
own use against that period sometime in 1944 when further 
supplies of rubber should become available for civilian 
tires. Only when this rubber is available can rationing 
be relaxed. ” 

“ In brief, the public does not yet understand that the 
vast majority of our motor vehicles must run from now 
until mid-1944 on the tires now in use, nor that they 
share with the Rubber Director the duty of each keeping 
his own car in useful operation. On the contrary, a 
large part of the public have been led to beliefs that 
certain regulations for the control of tire supply insure 
that on December 1, tires of one or another kind 
(or recaps) will become available to all who need them.” 

*** 

Conserving the rubber in tires is a two-way proposition: (1) the 
things drivers should do for themselves; (2) the things tire service 

shops should do for them at regular intervals. For good results, those 
two must go hand in hand. 

Even if a car-owner keeps under 35 mph. under-inflated tires, 

jack-rabbit ’ starting or jumping to beat traffic lights, scraping and 
jumping curbs, failure to notice damage beginning to show on his tires, 
and so forth, may waste more rubber than an expert service man can save 
for him. 

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Following are specific rules for conserving rubber, divided as between 
things the driver can do and things the service man can do for him in 
addition to or at more frequent intervals than is now mandatory under 
the Compulsory Tire Inspection setup: (These points should not be 
given undue emphasis, for the decreased mileage being driven under gas 
rationing plus reduced car speeds,•etc., mean that tire wear is auto¬ 
matically being cut, thus diminishing the effectiveness of Voluntary 
conservation measures. Rather, these points should be used as spring¬ 
boards to get into the old but still vital story that “ rubber is scarce 
and must be conserved - that’s why gas is rationed, pleasure driving 
banned or reduced, ” etc. ) 

A. Things YOU should do . 

(Make them a habit; they cost not a,penny but may 
save a-plenty.) 

1* Keep your driving to the bare essentials . Ask yourself, 

“ Is this trip absolutely necessary? Will it help win the 
war? Am I doing the fair thine by our soldiers” ? 

2. Maintain tire pressures at 32 lbs . (36 for 6 ply tires.) 

Check your tires frequently - at least once a week. If your 
tire man is busy, inflate them yourself - but do it. (Remember 
that tires lose air even when a car is not driven •) But avoid 
the opposite extreme - over inflation - which causes excessive 
wear at center of tread. 

3. Drive under 35 - preferably under 30 . 

By so doing you not only prevent excessive wear but can better 
avoid those sudden stops, bumps and ruts, and squealing around 
turns that burn up so much rubber. 

4. Avoid sudden starts and stops . 

“ Jack-rabbit ” driving scuffs off precious rubber. 

5. Keep away from curbs 

This includes bumping curbs with front or rear tires getting 
in and out of parking spaces. Bruising a tire may damage it 
beyond repair. 

6. Never drive a soft or flat tire . 

Rims chew up inside cords and ruin both ‘causing’’and tube - even 
in short distances. And never run on a “flat” - even for a 
short distance; it may ruin the tire, tube or both. In case of 
puncture or blowout, apply brakes gently. 

7. Check all 5 tires every week - yourself . 

Remove any nails, tacks, glass, small rocks, etc. If you detect 
any cuts, bulges, flattened spots, uneven tread or slow leaks, 

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(keep valve caps on - and tightly), go to your '« tire doctor” at once. 
Dont try to diagnose the trouble yourself. Also keep your tires away 
from those enemies of rubber, oil and grease; wipe it off whenever you 
see it on your tires. 

B. Things your SERVICE MAN should do. 

(Many stations are offering a monthly service for $1.00 
per month to save your tires. A good many of these are 
official OPA Tire Inspection Stations and include the 
regular Government inspection in a broader check-up on 
your tires and the mechanical features of your car that 
may cause excessive tire wear.) 

1. Inflate tires to 32 lbs. (36 for 6 ply.) 

2. Inspect every square-inch of tire . Look 
painstakingly for cuts, bruises, cracks, blisters; 
for exposed cords; for uneven tire wear caused by 

3 misalignment of wheels, faulty brakes, etc. 

3. Inspect valve cores for slow lea*< . 

Also see that every tire has a valve cap and they 
are on tight to keep out dirt. 

4. Recommend what should be done for maximum mileage. 

This would include recommendations on when to recap 

tires to insure getting the best services; proper 
rotation of tires, including the spare; repairs that 
should be made; whether tires should be removed for 
more thorough inspection, rim flanges straightened, 
front end checked for balance, brakes checked, etc. 

***************** 

These things will assure you of keeping your car going longer - and 
they’re not too much for you to do in wartime. 

***************** 


2. - Tire Inspection 
Background 


Late last year OPA set up a system of Compulsory Tire Inspec¬ 
tion whereby drivers throughout the country must receive 
approval from an authorized OPA inspector for continued opera¬ 
tion of their motor vehicles. 


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Begun on December 1, the original inspection period for 
passenger-car and motorcycle owners was schedules to end 
January 31. Thereafter, holders of “ A” and Basic “ D” 
(motorcycle) rations were required to report at official 
inspection stations every four months and holders of Supple¬ 
mental Rations every tw^ months or each 5,000 miles for 
commercial vehicles, (if that is sooner). 

New Inspection Dates 

Through amendment to OPA Mileage Rationing Order 1A, the neriodic 
inspection of passenger car tires has been revised as follows: 

“ A” vehicJes will be inspected every 6 months. 

“ B” vehicles will be inspected every 4 months. 

*'C”or bulk coupon vehicles will be inspected 
every 3 months. 

In order to dove-tail this new plan of inspection into the old, it 
was decided to postpone the dates for final inspection from January 31, 
1943 as follows: 

Final inspection dates for “ C” or bulk couoon cars - 
February 28, May 31, August 31 and November 30. 

Final inspection dates for '* 3” cars - February 28, 

June 30 and October 31. 

Final inspection dates for “A” cars - March 31 and September 30. 
What does Inspection accomplish? 

The inspector checks tires for injuries and wear - looks over the 
vehicle for faulty mechanical conditions causing abnormal tire wear - 
and recommends repairs or replacements. Checks serial numbers and 
advises owner on proper care of tires and how proper air pressure can 
be maintained. 

How replacements or recaps are obtained: 

Replacement tires are rationed but you can now have your tires recapped 
without going to your local War Price and Rationing Board. When the 
tire inspector advises that a tire is recappable and it is about time 
to have it done, you can have your tire recapped as soon as your tread¬ 
ing shop can do the work. (See the '* Recapping in Time Saves Tires” 
campaign.) 


- 15 - 


8-0904-P-15 of 26-bu- 





How tire inspection helps motorists: 


a. Any weaknesses which may have developed or any foreign 
materials which might have been picked up are discovered. 
Later these might cause blow-outs -- the destruction of 

a tire -- or a serious accident. Inspection therefore 
means safety and economy. 

b. The amount of "wear" is disclosed. Recapping service 
will be recommended before the tire has passed the 

“ danger line “ and recapping is impossible. 

c. Serial numbers of the tires are checked --thus helping 
to prevent a “ black market” in tires with its attendant 
high prices and other evils. 

d. Air pressure is corrected, and the motorist is told what 
air pressure to maintain in the future for longer tire 
life . (Motorists should be urged to check the air pressure 
of their tires weekly thereafter.) 

e. Through “ tire inspection” and the recommendations 
therefrom, the motorist may obtain thousands of addi¬ 
tional miles of service from his tires. 

f. Tire inspection ascertains when replacement tires or 
recapping services are needed . Makes it possible for 
motorists to obtain recapping service; or, if tires 
cannot be recapped, replacements for essential driving. 

Our limited supply of rubber thus is “ shared” - and 
given to those who need it the most. 

How the motorist will benefit by having his tires inspected NOW: 

a. He will get a thorough job NOW -- when the inspectors 
are not too busy. 

b. He will not be “taking a chance” by driving with a tire 
which might “ blow out ”. 

c. He will learn the condition of his tires -- how far he 
can drive before repairs, recapping or replacement are 
necessary -- and how to take care of his tires. 

d. Today his tires might be saved by recapping at a low cost. 
Tomorrow a replacement tire at a higher price might be 
necessary - if he can get it. 


- 16 - 


8-0904-P-16 of 26-bu- 












e. He will know what air pressure he should have at all times 
to get the maximum service from his tires. The incorrect 
air pressure might cause unnecessary wear. During the 
weeks remaining before the dead-line, precious rubber might 
be destroyed. 

How Tire Inspection helps the Rubber Conservation Program : 

a. It ascertains when tires must be repaired -- and thus 
lengthens the life of the tires. 

b. It provides a “ check-up” on all tires in operation. 

c. It gives motorists the information they need to care for 
their tires. 

d. It is the keystone in the plan to get the last mile of 
wear out of every ounce of rubber in the country. (For 
example, inspectors will advise when your tire needs 
recapping.) 

The way in which tire inspection protects against “ blow¬ 
outs” is of paramount importance in the campaign. The 
tire industry has paved the way - and the public already 
fears blow-outs. Many of the appeals to urge an early 
inspection can be based on this theme. The prevention 
of blow-outs is important both to the motorist and to the 
Rubber Conservation Program. 

Many service stations are now advertising “ inspection 
services” (usual cost $1.00) which cover all parts of the 
automobile... power plant, transmission, clutch, brakes, 
etc. In many cases these stations likewise are authorized 
OPA official Tire Inspection Stations. An effort should 
be made to have motorists include this mechanical check-up 
with their tire inspection. 

3. ‘‘Share and Spare your Car” 

The Office of Civilian Defense is charged with the responsibility 
for organizing and promoting programs for sparing the car and shar¬ 
ing the rides throughout the U. S. This is being done by means of 
two basic plans: 

A. The Car Sharing Club Exchange (and Self-Dispatching System. ) 


17 - 


8-0904-P-17 of 26-bu- 




In a folder bearing the above title, the OCD describes 
its easy-to-set-up system, requiring minimum supervision 
and designed for continuous operation, recommended for 
plants and business establishments not already equipped 
with working car-sharing schemes. 

The plan is also adaptable for use on a neighborhood basis. 
By means of two boards - “ Rides Wanted” and “Passengers 
Wanted ” - plus a community map, this Self-Dispatching 
System brings together people who can logically and con¬ 
veniently ride together. 

For details on how the Self-Dispatching System operates, 
see OCD Folder 5011. Following are some copy points 
suggested for use in publicizing the Car Exchange idea: 

More than seven out of every ten workers 

depend upon the private automobile to get to work. 

The best way that a car owner can be sure of 
getting to work on time and still save his car 
and rubber for war uses is by joining a Car Sharing 
Group. 

We must keep private cars roiling, because through¬ 
out the country 75 per cent of the workers in war 
production cannot get to work by bus or train or 
any other way than by private automobile. 

At the same time, we certainly must keep a steady 
supply of rubber going into the production of life- 
rafts, tank linings, and gas masks, as well as tires 
for jeeps, army trucks, and Flying Fortresses. 

When four car-owners share cars, they spare 12 
tires; “ Share and spare ” is the effective 
American solution to the rubber shortage. 

2. Neighborhood Car Sharing Clubs 

Whereas the organization of Car Sharing Clubs in indus¬ 
trial plants employing more than 100 workers is the 
responsibility of plant employee-management committees, 
smaller groups working in the same or nearby establish¬ 
ments can often be brought together effectively through 
the activities of Block or Neighborhood Leaders. 


- 18 - 


-0904-P-18 of 26-bu- 




This involves a face-to-face canvass of the homes in the 
areas served by volunteer OCD workers, in which the entire 
story of the transportation situation (cars, busses, 
trucks, railroads) is explained - the rubber problem 
naturally receiving prime attention. The Block or 
Neighborhood Leader fills out Car Sharing Cards on the 
basis of the information so collected, and pools car- 
owners and potential passengers into groups of at least 
four. 

Those cards that cannot be matched at the lower level 
are passed on up to sector meetings of Block or Neighbor¬ 
hood Leaders, and those still remaining after such match¬ 
ing are forwarded to the nearest or most appropriate Car 
Sharing CJub Exchange. 


(Further details on this phase of Car Sharing are given 
in phanphlet #492884-42, “ Whys and Hows about Car Sharing 
Clubs, ” issued by the Office of Civilian Defense, 
Washington, D. C.) 


* * * 


THE RUBBER SITUATION 
as of February 18, 1943 

There has been such a welter of confusing and contradictory state¬ 
ments, on various aspects of the rubber problem that many have only 
the haziest notion of where the country actually stands on this 
critical commodity. 

Excerpted below, as background material for the use of information 
and media people, are quotes from “ Progress Report No. 2”, by 
Rubber Director William M. Jeffers: 

Synthetic Production - 1943 


*' As a result of the many delays which have beset the 
program, we now estimate that the expected capacity 
that will come into production during the various 
months of 1943 will produce only a total of 241,000 
long tons (equivalent crude value) of synthetic rubber, 
instead of the 354,000 tons envisioned in Progress Report 
No. 1. This includes 3,000 tons from a Canadian plant. 


- 19 - 


8-0904-P-19 of 26-bu- 




Program Summary 


The Rubber Program involves three major problems: 

(1) To bring into production, as rapidly as possible, 
enough synthetic rubber capacity to balance supply 
and demand before tver-dwindling stocks have declined 
to a critical minimum. 

(2) To maintain enough of the natural crude stockpile to 
make heavy duty military tires, self-sealing tanks, 
and other military items for which synthetic rubber 
is not yet adequate. 

(3) Further to increase the capacity of the synthetic 
rubber industry and to develop all possible quick 
sources of natural rubber to take care of the addition¬ 
al needs in 1944. These 1944 needs include: 

(a) Added requirements of our Allies as their inven¬ 
tories disappear. 

(b) Replacement of depleted inventories of necessary 
industrial equipment, most of which is used in 
the manufacture of military supplies. 

(c) Replacement, during 1944, of essential civilian 
tires which, after recapping with presently 
available reclaimed rubber, will have worn out 
their carcasses by mid-summer of 1944. These 
are tires upon which the basic economy of the 
nation depends - the growing, distribution, and 
marketing of foodstuffs and other essential 
products, plus the transportation of essential 
workers to their jobs. 

(d) Use of rubber by the military authorities in 
many essential categories which have been re¬ 
stricted temporarily due to the present strin¬ 
gency 


Other Sources of Supply 

Approximately 440,000 tons of crude rubber were on hand in 
the United States and Canada on January 1, 1943. Many 
uncertainties affect estimates of possible imports of crude 
rubber from various producing areas still in Allied hands, 
such as ocean transportation hazards, quality of rubbers 
produced, and amounts actually to be harvested from the 
many programs now under way in various tropical nations. 


- 20 - 


8-0904-P-20 of 26-bu- 




After estimating the quantities to be shipped to our Allies, 
and taking all of the other factors mentioned into con¬ 
sideration, it is exoected that we can count on receiving, 
in terms of plantation crude, a new supply of 35,000 tons 
during 1943. 


Natural Crude Rubbers 

Every effort is being made to develop all possible sources 
of natural rubber which give promise of producing supplies 
in 1943 and early 1944. Certain developments have been 
fostered for harvesting after 1944, but only as insurance 
for the future. Some of the more important of these ac¬ 
tivities can be mentioned: 

(1) The Fubber Reserve Company, in agreement with the 
Governments of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, is 
pursuing a broad development in the Amazon Basin. While 
substantial quantities of crude rubbers once came from 
the Amazon, competition from the Far East has resulted 
in a decline of rubber procurement in this area. The 
present program calls for the movement of large numbers 
of workers, with attendant facilities, into the Amazon 
and it is hoped that substantially larger quantities 

of rubber will be produced than heretofore. 

(2) The Board of Economic Warfare and the Rubber Reserve 
Company have combed the rest of Latin America for wild 
rubbers, and some importations are expected in the 
1943 year. 

(3) The cryptostegia development in Haiti originally pro¬ 
posed by the Board of Economic Warfare in conjunction 
with the Government of Haiti, is showing progress. 
Preliminary indications are that this plant provides 

a very good grade of rubber, but that small tonnage can 
be expected until well after mid-summer 1944. 

(4) The Guayule program, operated by the Department of 
Agriculture, is expected to produce Jess than 1,000 
tons of rubber in 1943, but should produce substantially 
more in 1944. 

(5) The Department of Agriculture is continuing its ex¬ 
periments with koksaghyz (Russian dandelion) and golden- 
rod. It appears doubtful that either program will be 
extended in the immediate future because either would 
create substantial displacement of food crops, use of 
critical materials, and use of large manpower. 


- 21 - 


8-0904-P-21 of 26-bu 



“The efforts of Government agencies are being directed 
primarily toward increasing rubber production from all 
sources now available throughout the world. The estimate 
of imports of 35,000 tons is on the basis of “equivalent 
plantation crudes” and the efforts referred to may well 
produce quantities in excess of present estimates. 

“Despiteall of these projects, however, this country can¬ 
not hope to get as much rubber from these sources in 1943 
as it could from the early completion of one or two of the 
principal synthetic plants.” 


- 22 


8-0904-P-22 of 26-bu- 


(I) Auto and Auto Tire Conservation 


“RECAPPING IN TIME SAVES TIRES” 

Campaign to save rubber by keeping America’s 
tires in service through recapping...sponsored 
by Rubber Director’s Office, War Production Board. 


THE PRORLEM: 

Because of the seriousness of the rubber situation, another step has 
been taken in the interest of tire conservation. 

It is now possible for all holders of gas ration books to have their 
tires recapped without first securing a purchase order from a local 
ration board. This eliminates red tape and waste mileage. 

Recapping saves rubber by preserving the tire carcass. Recapping re¬ 
quires on the average only about one-third as much rubber as is used 
in making the so-called War Tire, or “Victory Tire’’. 

GOVERNMENT PROGRAM: 

Car-owners are to be made conscious of the importance of recapping 
their tires to save the carcass, and shown how to recognize the proper 
time for recapping. 

An intensive drive will be made to insure that the life of tires now 
in the hands of car-owners be prolonged through recapping. 


COPY THEME: 

The messages are to be pitched on this basic approach: 

“The only way you can be SURE of keeping tires on your car is carefully 
to conserve the ones you now have and to prolong their life by having 
them recapoed at the proper time. 

“Your tire needs recapping as soon as the non-skid pattern has worn 
off. Get expert advice. 

“Take care of your tires at all times. If the carcass is damaged by 
improper inflation, bruised from striking curbs, etc., it may not be 
worth recapping when the time comes and all that potential extra 
mileage is lost. Observe the Tire Conservation measures recommended 
by your government and the tire manufacturers." 


23 - 



CAUTION : Not all tires can successfully be recapped, even if proper 
care has been taken of them. Your local treading shop can usually be 
relied upon to give you good advice as to whether a tire is worth 
recapping. 

ADDITIONAL WARNING : Since all the “camelback ” now available for 
passenger-car tires is made from reclaimed rubber, recaps made with 
this grade cannot be expected to withstand the hard usage often given 
the pre-war type as made with virgin rubber. This makes it doubly 
imperative that drivers operating on recaps observe every precaution to 
conserve their tires - particularly that of keeping under 35 mph . 

Recaps made with reclaimed rubber simply will not stand up under high 
speeds or other forms of abuse such as slithering around corners, sud ¬ 
den starts and stops, etc . 

SELLING POINTS: 

“In a good pre-war carcass you have a precious asset. If wear has not 
proceeded too far you can have it recapped and when that is worn down 
you can have it recapped again - repeating the process up to five 
times. 

“The ceiling price for recapping a size 6:00 x 16 passenger-car tire is 
$6.50. Thus, for that amount or less each time recapping is needed, 
you can get thousands of additional miles out of the tires you now own . 

Since you have no assurance of being able to get any other tires in the 

near future, if you would make sure that you continue to ride, you must 
get the most out of what you already have. “A bird in the hand. . . ** 

“The “camelback” used in the usual recapping job requires only about a 
third of the rubber required in the average War Tire. This means in 
effect that through recapping you and Uncle Sam may be able to get, in 
terms of rubber, as high as five tires for one. If you had top-quality 
pre-war tires to begin with, you retain the plus value of a strong 
fabric construction and good crude rubber base for the reclaimed-rubber 
“camelback” cap. And you are money ahead in the bargain. 

“You definitely contribute to the winning of the war, as well as help 

yourself, when you prolong the life of the good tires you now own by 
having them recapped at the proper time. This is the way it works: 

There is only so much rubber available 
for all purposes. Most of this rubber is 
on the wheels of our cars. If everyone 
should run his tires until they had to be 
thrown away, there wouldn’t be enough 
rubber left in the country to assure tires 


- 24 - 


8-0904-P-24 of 20-bu- 












for essential civilian needs such as 
war workers, trucks, etc. after the 
armed forces have taken out what they 
absolutely must have to fight the war. 

But when you make the tires you now own 
last longer by having them recapped at 
the proper time, a minimum of rubber is 
consumed and the nation’s total supply 
goes further. 

“The driving speeds that prevailed before the War made it necessary for 
manufacturers to build tires having sidewalks, beads and fabric body 
that will outlast from two to five treads. So, after the original 
tread has worn smooth (and become unsafe for further mileage) about 
two-thirds of what you paid for remains. The economy possible through 
salvaging this margin of mileage is in. fact the entire basis for the 
recapping program. 

“Tires are something like shoes - but there’s a difference. When the 
soles of your shoes are worn through apd you have perfectly good 
uppers left, you don’t normally throw the shoes away. But - and here’s 
the difference - whereas your shoes can still be repaired if the outer 
sole is worn clear through, you should take your tires to a treader 
before the wear gets down to the fabric base. The right time for 
recapping is when the original non-skid design has disappeared. ” 

MEDIA TO BE USED: 

Radio, newspapers, national magazines, trade journals, house organs, 
plant publications, outdoor advertising, car cards, motion pictures 
and other channels of communication are scheduled to be used in ac¬ 
quainting the public with the desirability of caring adequately for 
their tires and of having them recapped when the time comes. A time¬ 
table showing how and when each media group is being used will be sent 
to anyone directly concerned with this problem. Write Camoaigns 
Division, Office of War Information, Washington, D. C. 

BACKGROUND FACTS 

Car-owners should not allow wishful thinking, stimulated by publicity 
on the synthetic program, experiments with guayule and other rubber- 
bearing plants, or talk of new plantations in Brazil and Africa, to 
make them imagine that they will soon “have plenty of rubber. ” The 
hard fact is that we now must count on less rubber for 1943 than we 
looked forward last year to having. 

This means that, if you want to be sure of keeping your car running, 



8-0904-P-25 of 26-bu- 




you must extend the life of your present tires. If these tires are of 
suitable grade and in reasonably good condition, they should be re¬ 
capped at the time the tread has worn smooth. 

Be sure not to let your tires go too long before taking them to a 
treading shop. Frequent inspection by experts - a good thing in itself 
to keep them in top condition - will reveal when is the best time to 
have the job done. Generally speaking, if wear is allowed to continue 
until the cord shows through, the carcass may be so weakened that it 
isn’t worth recapping. Catch it in time! 

A tire is no better than its carcass, so in order to gain the extra 
mileage available through recapping you must keep yours in good condi¬ 
tion. Under-inflation is probably the worst enemy of tire life be¬ 
cause it breaks down the fabric understructure. Remember, what you 
waste cannot be replaced! And, if you have been driving on low-grade 
tires, don’t be disappointed if your treading shop advises against 
trying to save them. If the quality was too poor to start with, the 
tire may not be worth recapping. 

Tire service shops throughout the country have been organizing to pro¬ 
mote a program for making the most effective use of their treading and 
tire-repair equipment, and to adopt standards for quality recapping. 

Most towns and cities in the U. S. have one or more treading shops, but, 
because of heavy demand, shortage of equipment and manpower, etc., your 
local shop may not be able to handle your business immediately. That 
is just one more good reason for having your tires checked long before 
the non-skid design disappears. Allow plenty of time and you will be 
able to get your tires recapped before it is too late. 

Here’s how you help yourself and your country by caring for your tires 
and having them recapped when they need it: An average passenger-car 
tire (6:00 x 16) contains about 10 lbs. of crude rubber - good, pre-war 
rubber if it is a first-line tire. When recapped at the proper time, 
about 5!4 lbs. of rubber (only 2 oz. of crude, the remainder reclaim) 
are needed (This compares with the approximately 16 lbs. of reclaim 
required in making a War Tire.) Since approximately 60% of the original 
crude rubber is in the carcass, it is good econotpy for you to keep that 
carcass in service - not to mention the savings in rubber just noted. 


- 26 - 


3-0904-P-26-fInal 

















U. S. GOVERNMENT 


TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGNS 


SECTION II 


TRUCK AND TRUCK TIRE CONSERVATION 
“SHARE THE TRUCK" 

“I’LL CARRY MINE” 


Campaigns Sponsored by 
Office of Defense Transportation 
Approved by 

Campaigns Division, Office of Mar Information 
March 1943 


8-0902 -cove r 









(II) Truck and Truck Tire Con servation 

“ SHARE-THE-TRUCK” 

Office of Defense Transportation Campaign 
for Voluntary Pooling of Delivery Services 


ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM 

The basic wartime problem in truck transportation is twofold: 

(1) the necessity for better maintenance of all existing trucking e- 
ouipment; and (2) the elimination of every waste mile of operation. 

To meet the latter, the ODT in 1942 ordered truck operators,ex¬ 
cept common carriers engaged in over-the-road services, to reduce 
mileage by 25 per cent. The immediate response was the deletion of 
superfluous delivery practices and services, spacing of delivery days, 
and similar curtailments. To conserve equipment, the U.S. Truck Con¬ 
servation Corps, a voluntary organization of the Nation’s truck oper¬ 
ators pledged to keep their trucks in A-1 condition at all times, was 
established. 

A 40 per cent overall mileage cut to offset looming shortages 
of critical materials is now necessary. Much greater efficiency in 
the performance of delivery service is mandatory if this mileage saving 
is to be accomplished without eliminating services necessary to the 
war effort and to comsumers. 

Shortages of rubber, parts, vehicles, manpower, and in the 
East, fuel, already have been headaches to many operators. In the 
coming months, any or all of them could seriously disrupt individual 
truck operations. No hope is held for immediate relief from the rub¬ 
ber shortage--supplies of tires, now composed of part crude rubber 
and part reclaimed rubber which cannot withstand severe treatment, 
are at low ebb. Manpower reserves, not only of skilled drivers but 
of hard-to-train maintenance men, are growing smaller under the two- 
way drain of men into the armed forces and war plants. The bottom of 
the present vehicle bin probably will be reached this year. And 
parts to maintain vehicles presently in operation are bard to obtain. 

The answers to these problems for the truck owners and for the 
public, are: widespread establishment of Share-The-Truck plans, and 
even more vigilant maintenance of trucks and trucking equipment. 

SHARE-THE-TRUCK AND ITS OBJECTIVES 

The outstanding feature of the Share-The-Truck program is its 

- 1 - 




8-0902-P1-o f-6-bu- cos-wp 























(II) Truck and Truck Tire Conservation 


“I’LL CARRY MINE** 

Phase of the Office of Defense Transportation’s 
truck conservation program aimed directly at 
the public, with special appeals to women consumers. 

Because America’s motor trucks are wearing out at a rapid pace, 
with no new ones available and even replacement parts becoming increas¬ 
ingly scarce - 


...the precious miles remaining in our 
existing delivery equipment must be 
stretched to the utmost. 

Since women do the bulk of all consumer buying, any program seek¬ 
ing to curtail unnecessary deliveries must be addressed to them. 

The “I’ll Carry Mine** campaign has been devised to induce women 
or members of their households to carry their own smaller packages, in¬ 
stead of demanding that stores deliver them. 

Objectives of Campaign 

Since this is a continuation and intensification of previous ef¬ 
forts, the present aim simply is to use every fresh and effective ap¬ 
proach to enlist the housewife’s cooperation even further in taking home 
herself (or via husband or children) all purchases that can reasonably 
be carried. 

The ultimate purpose of the campaign is, of course, to prolong 
the life of existing delivery trucks, to conserve gasoline, oil and 
parts, and to save rubber. 

Background Facts . 

During 1942, the ODT ordered mileage cut of 25 percent (over and 
above elimination of special deliveries, call-backs and multiple trips), 
was readily achieved by retail stores, large and small. Devices such 
as cutting deliveries to two or three a week and substituting parcel 
post for direct delivery in jut-lying communities, helped to accomplish 
the requirements of the order with comparative ease. 

Through cooperation with the “I’ll Carry Mine** campaign, retail¬ 
ers in some sections of the country struck a bonanza in delivery-mileage 
savings through customer carrying of small packages. The initial 

- 4 - 


8-0902-P4-nobu 










(II) Truck and Truck Tire Conservation 


“I’LL CARRY MINE** 

Phase of the Office of Defense Transportation’s 
truck conservation program aimed directly at 
the public, with special appeals to women consumers. 

Because America’s motor trucks are wearing out at a rapid pace, 
with no new ones available and even replacement parts becoming increas¬ 
ingly scarce - 


...the precious miles remaining in our 
existing delivery equipment must be 
stretched to the utmost. 

Since women do the bulk of all consumer buying, any program seek¬ 
ing to curtail unnecessary deliveries must be addressed to them. 

The “I’ll Carry Mine*' campaign has been devised to induce women 
or members of their households to carry their own smaller packages, in¬ 
stead of demanding that stores deliver them. 

Objectives of Campaign 


Since this is a continuation and intensification of previous ef¬ 
forts, the present aim simply is to use every fresh and effective ap¬ 
proach to enlist the housewife’s cooperation even further in taking home 
herself (or via husband or children) all purchases that can reasonably 
be carried. 

The ultimate purpose of the campaign is, of course, to prolong 
the life of existing delivery trucks, to conserve gasoline, oil and 
parts, and to save rubber. 

Background Facts . 

During 1942, the ODT ordered mileage cut of 25 percent (over and 
above elimination of special deliveries, call-backs and multiple trips), 
was readily achieved by retail stores, large and small. Devices such 
as cutting deliveries to two or three a week and substituting parcel 
post for direct delivery in jut-lying communities, helped to accomplish 
the requirements of the order with comparative ease. 

Through cooperation with the “I’ll Carry Mine" campaign, retail¬ 
ers in some sections of the country struck a bonanza in delivery-mileage 
savings through customer carrying of small packages. The initial 

- 4 - 


8-0 902-P4-nob u 






Patriotism: 


*'By carrying purchases, you are not just saving the 
equipment of one store, you are materially aiding in 
national truck conservation. Equipment needed for vital 
services - to keep foodstuffs coming to the corner grocer, 
to keep raw materials moving to factories, to keep dairy 
products speeding from farm to city - is kept rolling for 
you , with your help. ** 

Convenience: 


“The Government has ordered your retail store to cut 
delivery mileage. He must do it, and the only way is to 
cut out the “frills** he was (and will be again) delighted 
to offer you. If you take your packages with you, you are 
sure of having the right merchandise, where you want it, 
when you want it. Save yourself the headaches of delayed 
deliveries, wrong merchandise, and the necessity of hang¬ 
ing around home to wait for delivery trucks. And you’ll 
help relieve over-burdened busses and street cars, too, if 
you’ll walk when you can, carrying your own bundles.** 

Practicability: 


“Be practical about carrying. Always shop prepared 
to carry. Use a string bag, a small suitcase, a large knit¬ 
ting bag or any device that will make carrying packages easy. 
Ask your retail store for a Victory Shoulder Sack. Slung 
over the shoulder, it will hold up to 25 pounds safely. It 
leaves the arms free for “change scrambling**; it can be set 
on the counter without being removed from your shoulder; you 
can swing it conveniently to your lap when seated in a bus 
or trolley. Or if you can walk to and from your shopping, 
you’ll find that the Victory Shoulder Sack makes carrying 
easy.“ 

Suggested Slogans 

“Your country needs arms -- your armsl Carry home your 
purchases**. 

“Can you take it? Then don’t say ’send it’. Every package 
you carry today saves trucks for the bundles you won’t be 
able to tote. '* 

“Don’t go away empty-handed. Carry packages and save the 
Nation’s trucks for vital deliveries. And carry your bundles 
on foot if you can to make way for those who must use busses 
and trolleys*'. 


- 6 - 


8-0902-P6-bu-final- 

























































































* 










































































































































































































































U. S. Government 


TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGNS 


Section III 

Conservation of Bus. Railway and Local Transit 

“WAR TRAFFIC MUST COME FIRST* 




Sponsored by 

Office of Defense Transportation 


Facilities 


Approved by 

Campaigns Division, Office of War Information 
March 1943 


8-0903 Cover bu-cos-w 









(HI) Conservation of Bus, Railway, & Loc al Transit Facilities 

“ WAR TRAFFIC MUST COME FIRST” 

Continuing campaigns to relieve over-burdened 

bus, railroad and streetcar transport by 

reducing unnecessary civilian use of such facilities 

(A) BUS & RAILWAY TRAVEL 


The Problem 

Passenger traffic on railroad and bus lines has risen to the 
highest levels in history. Expansion of the armed forces, rising war 
production, widespread employment at good wages, the rubber shortage, 
and gasoline rationing have brought about huge increases in troop 
movements, furlough travel, trips by relatives and friends to visit 
service men at camps, business travel connected with the war program, and 
pleasure travel. 

Since no new railroad passenger equipment, and very few new buses, 
will be available for the duration, handling of this tremendous volume 
of travel places heavy strains on existing public transportation 
facilities. About one-half of all Pullman cars and 15 percent of all 
railroad day coaches are in constant use for official troop movements. 

The remaining equipment has to accomodate the large amount of furlough 
and civilian rail travel. The-result is overcrowded trains, standees in 
many trains, difficulty in obtaining reservations. Much the same con¬ 
ditions prevail on intercity buses. 

To assure accomodations for men in uniform traveling on furlough, 
for persons obliged to travel on company or official business, and for 
other civilians whose travel is essential, it is necessary to curtail 
pleasure travel and other non-essential civilian travel. Any system of 
priorities on train or bus travel would be extremely difficult to admin¬ 
ister. Its operation would require the services of thousands of persons 
needed for other war duties. Hence the effort to persuade the public 
voluntarily to refrain from unnecessary travel. 

The Campaign to Date 

The campaign was inaugurated by ODT in mid-November, 1942. In its 
initial stages it was directed particularly toward curtailment of inter¬ 
city travel at Thanksgiving and during the Christmas and New Year holidays. 
Railroad and bus carriers, through their national associations, by regional 
groups, and individually, joined with ODT in making a strong appeal to 
the public to stay at home during the holidays, avoiding all travel for 
which there was not a real need. 


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8-0903 Pi of 5 bu-cos-wp 







The appeal was made through press releases, posters, news reels, 
display advertising in periodicals and newspapers, radio features tied 
in with important network programs, spot radio announcements, and 
magazine features. The campaign utilized such themes as " Is your trip 
really necessary?” and “Give your seat to a soldier. ” 

Carriers agreed unanimously that the campaign had the effect of 
reducing holiday travel substantially below what it otherwise would have 
been. Trains and buses generally were crowded, but the carriers, except 
in rare instances, were able to handle all traffic offered. The results 
proved that the need for conserving travel space had been convincingly 
demonstrated. The response to the campaign illustrated the potentiali¬ 
ties of the method of approach used. 

Next Phase of the Campaign 

Passenger traffic normally is light during January and February, 
but this year the seasonal decline has been small. The demand for 
passenger service is expected to become substantially heavier this 
spring and to remain at a high level thereafter. Further expansion of 
the armed forces and of war production will materially increase the 
volume of necessary travel. Unnecessary travel must be correspondingly 
curtailed. 

While particularly intensive appeals will have to be made at 
certain peak travel periods, such as the Fourth of July and Labor Day, 
the need to hold down non-essential travel at all times will be steady 
and continuing. The problem will be more severe in some regions than 
in others, out it will be sufficiently serious generally to warrant 
little regional variation in the intensity of the campaign. 

Copy Theme 

Appeals should continue to stress the necessity of according pre¬ 
ference in passenger travel to members of the armed forces on furlough, 
to persons on business trips related to the war, and to others whose 
travel is urgently necessary. Conservation of railroad and bus equip¬ 
ment to make it last for the duration - conservation of bus tires, and 
manpower shortages in transportation are long-range considerations that 
should be emphasized. 

“Don’t travel if you can possibly avoid it,” “Don’t waste 
transportation,” “Is your trip really necessary?” “Give your seat to 
a soldier,” “War traffic must come first” - these are theme ideas that 
can be used effectively on posters, in radio spots, in advertising, etc. 


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-0903 P2 bu 



Background Facts 


Here are a few pertinent facts that emphasize the importance of 
curtailing unnecessary travel: 

1. Official troop movements by rail are proceeding at the rate 
of nearly 2,000,000 men a month. They require the constant 
service of one-half the Pullman cars and 15 percent (about 
3,000) of the day coaches. Troop movements, and furlough 
travel, are steadily increasing. 

2. No new railroad passenger equipment, and a very few new buses, 

for the duration. 

3. Railroads are forbidden to operate special trains, special 
extra sections of regular trains, or special cars, without 
permits from ODT. 

4. Manpower is an increasingly serious problem for the railroads 
and bus operators. 

5. Sample surveys indicate that from 25 to 30 percent of railroad 

and bus travel has been for strictly non-essential purposes; 

social visits, trips to the theatre, races and other amusement 

events. 

6. Ability of transportation lines to handle bona fide vacation 
travel during the coming season will depend on elimination of 
a large part of the strictly non-essential travel. 



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(B) LOCAL TRANSIT FACILITIES 


The Problem 


Passenger traffic on local buses and street cars has been rising, 
since Pearl Harbor, at the rate of 40 percent on a national average over 
the corresponding month of the previous year. In war plant centers the 
rate of increase is much greater. 


The number of new buses and street cars authorized for construc¬ 
tion, because of the critical material involved, is not sufficient to 
provide for replacements which would be required under peace-time standards. 
Less equipment will be called upon, as the war progresses, to do more work. 

On top of the new demands for war worker transportation, an extra 
burden has been thrown on local transit facilities by the restrictions 
on the use of the private passenger automobiles. Obviously, the buses 
and street cars, already jammed by the war workers, cannot assimilate the 
added load which would fall upon them if the shift from private cars to the 
public vehicles were to reach greater proportions. 


Background Facts 

There are approximately 200,000 public carrier units in local 
transportation, and almost 27,000,000 private automobiles. Therefore,the 
man who climbs aboard a public conveyance, when he is able to use his own 
car for essential transportation, is rendering a disservice to his country. 


If every local transit vehicle in the nation were loaded to capacity, 
at one time, including standing space, only 13,000,000 persons could be 
accomodated. Yet it is estimated that by the end of 1943 there will be 
65,000,000 persons in the United States engaged in gainful occupations, 
most of them requiring transportation to and from work. 

The manpower shortage, furthermore, means that in some places on 
many occasions even the equipment that is available cannot always be kept 
in service. 


Copy Theme 

Appeals to the public should be based on the idea, “ Don t keep 
the war worker home’*. Every space taken needlessly by a non-essential 
rider may make a worker late in reaching the production line. Housewives, 
especially, should be discouraged from using the buses and street cars 
for non-essential trips, particularly during the hours when the workers 
are travelling. Also, if the trip is one which should not be taken in 
a private car, it should not be taken on a public vehicle at a time when 
it would crowd out an essential rider. 

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Information and media people likewise are referred to the 44 Walk 
and Carry” promotion outlined in Section II (Truck and Truck Tire 
Conservation) for ideas that will be helpful in preparing these messages. 
Indeed, the basis “walk and Carry” theme may well be utilized as a 
collateral campaign in publicity efforts aimed at relieving over-burdened 
local transit facilities. If walking as such (walking to work, to the 
stores, to all points within walking distance) can be popularized to any 
real degree, the passenger load on intra-city bus and street car lines 
will automatically be lightened. 

Timing 


Although no formal Campaign schedule has been drawn up to dis¬ 
courage unnecessary use of local transit facilities, the over-crowding of 
street cars and buses is a situation which will require constant 
attention. This is emphasized by the fact that plans are now on file in 
every major community in the country, for overnight emergency mileage 
curtailment. Whether any sudden drastic cuts in street car and bus 
operations will be necessary, will depend to a great extent on the degree 
to which the public cooperates in the appeal to use local transit facili¬ 
ties in off-peak hours, or to stay at home when their trip is not 
necessary. 








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